Slapping...MEH!

SnuffdaCrimeDog · #1 11-01-2006, 01:50 PM

Ok I've been playing bass for like a year and a half. I'm decent my tecnique is still far from perfect....seing as I have hard time playing clean with a pick. Anyway speaking of technique....Slapping. I love it sounds cool, yet I suck at it. I try to mock people when they slap, but I always seem to come out crappy and buzzy sounding. I have the priveledge of seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers last night, and I got to watch Flea slap. He looks like he attacks his Bass with his thumb when he slaps, but when I do that it sounds like sh**. I'm obivously doing something wrong. Most of the crappy buzz come from the higher frets too like on the E string, If I were to smack my string with my thumb I would get horrible buzz, on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Can some please help me or send me a link on how to slap well. Oh and please not the Dalton guy I've watched him like god knows how many times and it still hasnt helped.

rainbownorth · #2 11-01-2006, 07:05 PM

I had the same problem a little while ago.Im still average because i dont practice slapping, ive got too much on. But heres a great video i got recommended to me to clean my slap up a bit, and it worked almost instantly.

http://www.cyberschoolofbass.com/lesson6/

It worked for me, try it out.

SnuffdaCrimeDog · #3 11-02-2006, 01:39 PM

That was an excellent demonstration thanks alot. Now that is totally different from the way I slap. Islap with my thumb vertical to the strings like Flea. Now When I practiced the way Bunny told me too, I noticed his thumbit parallel which Ive seen people like Stu Hamm and Vic Wooten play. Now besides the fact that Flea's got year of experience on me how is he able to play those notes so cleanly. He honestly looks like he beat the living **** outta his bass yet he still gets clean tones.

iamlowsound · #4 11-02-2006, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnuffdaCrimeDog

That was an excellent demonstration thanks alot. Now that is totally different from the way I slap. Islap with my thumb vertical to the strings like Flea. Now When I practiced the way Bunny told me too, I noticed his thumbit parallel which Ive seen people like Stu Hamm and Vic Wooten play. Now besides the fact that Flea's got year of experience on me how is he able to play those notes so cleanly. He honestly looks like he beat the living **** outta his bass yet he still gets clean tones.

Lots of compression.

I like is how he gets kind of mad about half way through that video.

lowsound

rainbownorth · #5 11-02-2006, 04:19 PM

It is a good video, and I was the same when I was first getting into slapping. I think the best idea is to learn the fundamentals of slapping - ie. how to hit a string with your thumb quickly and CLEANLY - and then learn how to pour on the extravagant theatrics or whatever. Personally, I dont think Flea is a very good role model for beginning slappers, simply because its a LOT harder to slap the way he does (slapping with a vertical thumb, when you think about it, IS pretty illogical)...just my opinion though.

Dave Grossman · #6 11-04-2006, 09:27 PM

http://www.slapit.com/

That's how I learned it nearly 20 years ago.

- Dave

trasser · #7 11-07-2006, 12:11 PM

In the book "slap it", he also slaps vertical. Is this really wrong? Cause I just started myself this way, and I dont want to do it wrong.
To Snuffdacrimedog: The way I get clean sound is by muting the strings I'm not hitting with the palm of my hand, and then slap quickly so that your thumb imideately bounces off.

rainbownorth · #8 11-07-2006, 05:29 PM

Theres no wrong or right way...whatever you find easier, and as long as you get the sound youre after. Personally, i tried the vertical thing and it didnt work for me. It just seems weird to me.